From the Blacksmith to the Gonster, Here Are 8 Popular Guinness Cocktails to Try

To some, there’s no better drink than a perfect pint of Guinness. Fans of the Irish stout prize the beer for its creamy texture, toasty flavors, and stately appearance. Though the drink’s appeal is timeless, Guinness is experiencing a heyday among contemporary drinkers. And with that bump in popularity comes a surge of fads, with trends like “splitting the G,” 60/40 pours, and Turbo Guinnesses swarming pubs and social media feeds.

While tinkering with the perfection of a meticulous two-part pour may seem sacrilegious — and is sure to spur on intense debate — the practice can actually be traced back centuries. In the 1700s, it became common in English pubs to mix dark stouts with a pale ale or lager as a sort-of beer cocktail to personalize the drink to customers’ palates.

The trend stuck, and eventually, mixing Guinness with pale beers became known as the Black and Tan, which the Oxford English Dictionary suggests was first recorded in 1889 — though it’s now commonly referred to by a different name. Guinness’ marketing later made deliberate efforts in normalizing mixing the beverage into cocktails.

Since then, a suite of Guinness combos have emerged — ranging from classic mixtures with other iconic beers to unexpected marriages with bright green energy drinks. Here are eight Guinness combos to try to zhuzh up your pint.

Blacksmith

The Blacksmith brings together two Irish pub staples, mixing Guinness with Smithwicks. The Irish Red Ale is made with caramel malts, introducing a toffee-like flavor profile. The Smithwicks addition complements Guinness’ toasty notes while adding a fruit-forward, crisp edge to the typically creamy pint.

Black and Blue

A somewhat less conventional pairing, the Black and Blue is a mixture of Guinness and Blue Moon. The U.S.-produced Belgian-style wheat beer offers radically different flavors than Guinness, with notes of juicy citrus and savory spice. But similar to the Smithwick’s in the Blacksmith, the Blue Moon brings a fruity brightness to Guinness. Garnish it with an orange wheel to amp up the citrus.

Black Velvet

Unlike the Guinness-and-other-beer combos that dominate this list, the Black Velvet merges the stout with sparkling wine, typically Champagne. It also is the only combo to switch up the format, opting for a flute rather than the standard pint glass. The bubbles from the wine accentuate those in the nitro stout, and the Champagne’s creamier notes also help to emphasize the Guinness’ rich texture, coming together in a velvety sip.

Black Castle

While many classic Guinness combos counterbalance the dark stout with a light and fruity beverage, the Black Castle doubles down on its roasted malt notes. Mixing Guinness with the U.K.-brewed Newcastle Brown Ale, the Black Castle celebrates both beers’ nutty, caramel, and chocolatey notes.

Guinness and Black

Also known as a Black and Black, a Guinness and Black is just the traditional pint with a dash of blackcurrant cordial. The syrupy cordial mellows out the stout’s rougher edges, and imparts a fruity kick instead. Its flavor profile is at once breakfast- and dessert-like, marrying warm, chocolatey notes with dark fruited undertones.

Black and Gold

A Black and Gold is equal-parts hard cider and Guinness, a combo that is also referred to as a Snakebite. To achieve the signature look, a half-pint of Guinness is carefully pulled above cider or ale to not mix the two, but rather layer the less-dense stout atop. The result is a striking contrast between the dark Guinness and golden cider at the bottom.

Half and Half

A Half and Half is made by layering a half pint of Guinness over a pale ale or lager, most commonly Guinness-owned Harp. The resulting combination dilutes Guinness’ toasted malt flavors with Harp’s crisper, wheatier profile. This is considered the modern iteration of the now-retired Black and Tan.

Gonster

Many of the mixtures on this list are pub classics, but the recent surge in Guinness’ popularity has spurred some drinkers to come up with chaotic — err, experimental — combos. Also known as the “Billie Irish,” the Gonster layers Guinness over the electric green Monster Energy Nitro. It first delivers the familiar flavors of Guinness before a surge of sugary citric acid comes through. Approach with caution.

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